[Clinical and histological study of a case of facial Afro-Caribbean childhood eruption (FACE)].
BACKGROUND
The term Facial Afro-Caribbean childhood eruption (FACE) was coined in 1990 to describe a perioral granulomatous eruption in black-skinned children. We present a typical case of this condition, together with a histological and immunohistochemical study.


METHODS
A seven-year-old boy with black skin was referred for numerous nonpruritic papules that appeared on his face several months prior to the consultation. He had a past history of atopic dermatitis, but his mother denied any use of steroids or other topical treatment on his face. Examination showed numerous small lupoid and flesh-colored papules localised in the perioral, perinasal and periocular areas. Biopsy revealed a diffuse granulomatous infiltrate of the dermis comprising histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells and a heavy lymphocytic component. Histiocytes were CD68+ and CD1a-, while the majority of lymphocytes were CD3+ (70% CD8+ and 30% CD4+).


CONCLUSIONS
This particular type of perioral dermatitis is seen chiefly in male children with black skin. Our histologic study revealed a diffuse and massive granulomatous infiltrate of the dermis, in contrast with the small size of the papules. Expression of CD68, absence of necrosis and dense CD3+ infiltrate in this disease resembles findings in the granulomatous variant of rosacea. This entity must be differentiated from lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei and from sarcoidosis.
Cribier
B
B
Faculté de médecine, clinique dermatologique, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, université Louis-Pasteur, 1 place de l'Hôpital, Strasbourg cedex, France. bernard.cribier@chru-strasbourg.fr
Lieber-Mbomeyo
A
A
Lipsker
D
D
D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology*; D006105:Granulomatous Disease, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male